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Monday, 31 December 2012

All in all it has been a rather good year to be
British; with the Queen celebrating her Diamond Jubilee and of course the
Olympics too! Even though it pains me to say it (brace yourself Tupney), I actually
did warm to the London Olympics in the end and, AND (oh this is hard for me to say) I’ll even go as far as
saying that I'm glad that I did indeed watch some of it! (Don’t faint
all- I’m still not converted on the whole exercise thing. I did enough of that
at school and I’m quite content with doing a minimal amount of prancing about when
required- preferably on a beach!)

My only nod to the Olympics- a silly photo of me in my Woman’s
League of Health and Beauty outfit. Don’t say it, I know- yes I’m the epitome
of both :P… The woman’s league of not so healthy and not quite a beauty, that
is!

***

It goes without saying that the Jubilee was the main
highlight for me…. Who can forget the Coronation Crackers series eh?! Ahem,
well, for that I’m truly sorry! I enjoyed myself at any rate and just think I
get to do it alllllllll over again next/this year! (wink, wink, the coronation
was in 53!). Again, don’t tell me, I know, you can hardly wait….No?

﻿

A small display that I was asked to put on for the Jubilee Celebrations.

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Another highlight was to get the chance to see the Bomber
Command Memorial in London. I’m still rather miffed that I wasn’t invited to the grand
unveiling, but I’m thankful for the chance to see it all the same. Naturally I
would have preferred the little homage to be just me and the boys, but one
can’t have everything I suppose…. Blooming tourists!

Annoying amount of people in the background… still, it’s
nice to see people appreciating it.

I never got around to writing about my trip to London but more photos of my trip can be found on FB here and here!

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2012 also saw old Tuppo getting to show her wares (hehe) at
the Black Country Living Museum. I can’t even
begin to tell you how much this opportunity meant to me. I was a bag of nerves
in the weeks running up to the 40’s night I can tell you, and I’m extremely
grateful that all the hours of sorting paid off. Ok there was room for
improvement on my part, there always is, but until I get to show my collection
off in my own prefab/living history museum then the BCLM night will always be
the tops!

Part of my display at BCLM and one of me after we had packed
up the car- ready for bed!

I've just realised I never did the next part of my write up- ah well, can't remember what I was going to write now. So the first bit will have to suffice!

***

And if all this excitement wasn’t enough, back in September my Aunt got
married. Now, what a joyous occasion that was. Not only did I
get to share such a wonderful day with the happy couple in the most beautiful of
surroundings, I also got the chance to wear not one, but two outfits. Yes I
was the only one to wear a hat (fascinators are NOT hats) and yes I was the only
one to change for the evening. Well I wasn’t going to let such an important
event pass me by without making the most of the posh surroundings (remember I
stayed in the Turret) and my equally wonderful wardrobe (even if I do say so
myself)! Oh it was just like being in an episode of the Monarch of the Glen,…
well, just without all the silly capers and of course I didn’t marry the young
laird of Glenbogle!

***

At the moment I can’t think of anything else that has happened which
isn’t all gloom (naturally our year wasn’t without the lows). So, I shall leave
you with a set of my favourite snaps from this year.

hehe funny aren't they! I like being reminded of the lovely sunny feeling I had when I took these, rather than the images themselves!

Oh and I have yet to show my chrimbly pressies (and boy did Santa deliver some real crackers) - I will try and get up to speed with that shortly. So expect to hear from me in the coming week ....

I guess its time for me to wish you all, dear friends, a very Happy New Year and here's hoping its filled with the most joyous moments for you and your loved ones.

Let's raise a toast to a cracking 2013 eh! (clink!)

Your

xxx

P.S it's all very Christmas day speech, isn't it. I feel like the Queen.... next year YouTube?!!!!

Friday, 21 December 2012

Welcome one and all to a very special edition of R.A.F Friday. Ok, so the only reason it's special is because it's the last one before Christmas and I have raided my room to dig out all the Christmassy related items especially!
I must confess that I wasn't planning to show what is about to be shown- I was adamant that the thing I was going to show was connected to a particular RAF chappy, but my brain played a cruel trick on me and I got all mixed up with a similar thing that was sent to a chappy in the RAF, and needless to say, I didn't buy the latter (was expensive!). However, I shall try and upload the thing I wanted to share nearer Chrimbo, because it is rather interesting RAF related or not!

So to me stuff....

First up, a couple of Christmas cards...

I bought these back in the summer (along with the bundle below)

And the Transport Command CC is dated 1945 inside.

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The Next is a small bundle of photo's with a Christmas Greetings card. They are all related to a one,

(this one has some writing on the back but I have no idea what it says!

I'm not sure if this is Willie, (sort of looks like him) but he came with the rest and I would hate for him to go unnoticed!

***

Another item I have been keeping back ready for this merry month is this wartime booklet of Carols

(Nice to see a WAAF for a change!)

One of my favourites is "Good King Wenceslas"

(use to love to sing it at school when I was diddy dot!).

***

And my final offering

is my latest purchase....

I bought this chappy
in London (fancy). I've had to crop
him a bit as it's a fairly large portrait- not huge, huge just too large for
the scanner! I don't know about anyone else, but I adore tinted photos, and I
think the seller could tell that I had fallen in love with him when I enquired
after the price! I don't know what I would have done if she hadasked for more than
I could have given her- well, one thing I do know, I would have been very
miserable if he was to be too much dosh for little Cinders here!

Anyway, he resides
with me now, and I have named him Bert as I think it suits his kind face. : P

(what a nutcase eh!)

Well, that's all I
could muster for this edition, as I can't think of anything else Christmas
related... s'pose the last one isn't at all related to Christmas, but hey, I
couldn't wait another week without showing him off!

Thursday, 20 December 2012

Christmas may only be a few days away, but yesterday it came early for me when I was given a whole load of goodies from my fairy Godmother of vintage (aka, Clare from Second Hand Rose).
Just look at it all....

First up is a bundle of sewing and knitting patterns....

A bounty of booklets and leaflets to dress the kiddies in...

My favourite of these has to be the romper suit- how cute and what an amazing curly top he has!

Probably the best knitting pattern of all. I adore pigs and I'm going to knit him as soon as I find 2oz of 3ply in pink.....

Yay patterns for adults too! Some super patterns for warm undies- can't decide which one I like the most.

The mannequin in the top left is one of my favourite models of the day- to me she is perfect. I would love to know who she is....

And to the sewing patterns

Again, some very lovely patterns for the kidlettes.

How cute are the rompers ( I must have a thing for rompers!) and the little outdoor set...

And last but by no means least...

...some patterns that Tupney can wear (Hurrah!). I can't wait to get started on the 1947 teenage dress (bottom left)- Will be a lovely style for the summer, don't you think?

And if that wasn't enough (I know, how lucky am I), I was also given number of old packaging too.

This does mean though, that I now have to reorganise my display cabinets (oh what a hardship!!!), as I hate having all this stuff and not being able to see it all....

I think this gal looks a bit like Anna Friel.... or is it just me (probably).

I shall be using this, but won't be looking anywhere near as glamorous in it, I'm sure!

I love old packaging- Tarso- pads for Callouses and all...

Lovely is the Lipstick blotting paper packet... notice I'm not asking is you agree, I'm telling you it is!

And how cool is this- A Wartime quality pack of cookery parchment!

Got to love a bit of wartime packaging- I'm lucky enough to own a few bits, so this is a most lovely addition. I don't know about anyone else, but I never look that serene when I cook!

(Might come in handy if I ever rival the Wartime Farm team- I doubt it, but you never know!)

***

I'm planning on archiving my collection for real next year, so expect to see a bit of the packaging that I have collected of the years on this olde blog! Though I can't quite decide if I should set up another blog just for that sort of stuff or not? I can barely keep this one up, so perhaps I shouldn't... hmm, we shall see.

Oh I bet you can hardly wait... well I certainly can, because it's not going to be easy- must be done though ;)

***

Once again, Clare if you read this(?) THANK YOU so much!

Well TaTarrr Folks

Tickety xxx

P.S.Tomorrow is R.A.F Friday and I have a few things lined up especially for the Christmas edition (Just need to find them).

Sunday, 16 December 2012

I guess this is how it's going to be until the New Year. I'm never very organised around the merry month of December- Always too much to do, too many 'good ideas' and never the means or energy to pull them off!

This is going to be a real short and sweet (well, perhaps just short) post, as I really do have nothing to say or show that I think will be of any interest!
I haven't got anywhere to take photo's of outfits at the moment (too may people around) and anyway, the lighting is rubbish in the house. I might try and reorganise my room so I have somewhere secluded to take the photos (remember I hate people taking my photo- I feel so awkward), but I don't hold out much hope of being able to change anything in there as it's so jammed packed. Anyway, I shall try my best to sort myself out!

I forced myself to stand long enough in front of a manned camera today, so todays outfit didn't go to waste. It's the first time I've worn this late forties/ early fifties coat (I know, but I did buy it in the summer of last). My excuse is that it's never been quite the right sort of forecast- always too cold, too wet, or too warm! Today's weather, however, was perfect for such a velvety coat.
My hat was a recent purchase (I possibly may have mentioned it in this post- can't remember) and was real steal for a little 30's number. *by the way, I'm not wearing the hat how it should be worn ;)*

(Hehe, the angle of this photo
makes me look all head. I know I have a big noggin, but come on, it's not that
big! I totally blame the photographer, AKA Pops.)

Quite a splendid little coast isn't
it (yes I'm showing off!). It swishes beautifully and has the softest fur trim
ever. I'm guessing its Mole, but I'm not that clued up on furs, so it could be
anything. Oh and what about the colour?! Green is my favourite colour of all
and emerald is also my birthstone, so naturally I had to have it. It's like it
was meant for me..., except that it was made 60 odd years ago and that it's too
short in the sleeve for old monkey arms, but apart from that...

***

Who first beholds the light of dayIn spring's sweet flowery month of MayAnd wears an emerald all her lifeShall be a loved and happy wife.

(well, we shall see!)

***

Hopefully, nearer the time I will be around to wish you all a Merry Christmas...

Friday, 7 December 2012

This little booklet (1942) was a birthday pressie from a couple of years ago, and is filled with so many lovely portraits and pictures, some of which I will show today.

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" What did it look like? they will ask in 1981, and no amount of description or documentation will answer them. Nor will big, formal compositions like the battle pictures which hang in palaces; and even photographs, which tell us so much, will leave out the colour and the peculiar feeling of events in these extraordinary years. Only the artist with his heightened powers of perception can recognise which elements in a scene can be pickled for posterity in the magical essence of style. And as new subjects begin to saturate his imagination, they create a new style, so that from the destruction of war something of lasting value emerges"

***

Fitters working on a Spitfire. Raymond McGarth.

"these two scenes in aircraft factories were recorded during the early part of the war. The first shows Wellingtons under construction and the second the finishing stages in assembling a Spitfire"

Flight-Lieutenant W. L. McKnight, D.F.C and

Flight-Lieutenant J. H. Lacey, D.F.M.

Eric Kennington

Wing Commander. D. R. S. Bader, D.S.O, D.F.C.

Flight- Lieutenant G. Allard, D.F.C, D.F.M.

Eric Kennington.

An R.A.F. Machine-Gun Post

Keith Henderson.

Flight-Leiutenant T. F. Neil, D.F.C.

Wing Commander A. G. Malan, D.S.O, D.F.C.

Eric Kennington.

Squadron Leader J. C. Mungo Park, D.F.C.

Flight-Leiutenant J. A. Siebert, D.F.C.

Eric Kennington

A Wellington Bombing-Up

Cuthbert Orde.

A Flying Officer from Nova Scotia.

Keith Henderson.

An Air Gunner in a Turret- Corporal G. H. Holmes, D.F.M.

J. Mansbridge.

Corporal J.D.M. Pearson, E.G.M.

Dame Laura Knight.

Group Captain F. V. Beamish, D.S.O, D.F.C, A.F.C.

Group Captain B. E. Embry, D.S.O, A.F.C.

Eric Kennington.

Wellington Bomber, drawn on the day Hitler invaded Belgium.

Paul Nash.

***

Each illustration also has an accompanying description, but I haven't got the time to write those up yet. So if you are interested (?) pop back to this post in a week or two to check them out!

I'll probably do a follow up post as well, as there are quite a few more piccies in this darling little book. : )